Alliance car giveaway tradition rolls on with new Sally's owners

ALLIANCE − An Alliance High School counselor recently contacted Mike and Stacie Buzzelli to tell them that their 16-year-old twin daughters were on a Secret Santa's gift list.

So the Buzzellis were at their northwest Alliance home Saturday morning, two days before Christmas, waiting for a mysterious Santa to appear with a couple of gifts.

Around 10:20 a.m., a procession of a dozen vehicles appeared on the Buzzellis' street.

Andrea and Jake Sponseller and Kelly and Ryan Wittensoldner, owners of Sally & Assoc. Auto Sales Inc., went to the Buzzellis' door to introduce themselves.

As the group spoke, a line of about 31 people formed outside, creating a relay to move a series of wrapped gifts from a 2007 Subaru Tribeca SUV over to the doorway.

One of the group members had parked the vehicle in the Buzzellis' driveway. It was a gift to the family from Sally & Associates, part of an annual tradition the auto dealership has been conducting for 18 years.

As each gift reached the doorway, Jake Sponseller placed it by the Buzzellis' Christmas tree in the living room as the Buzzellis' daughters, 16-year-old Nancy and 14-year-old Gracie, watched. Nancy's twin sister Elizabeth wasn't home; she was at work at McDonald's on West State Street at the time.

Related: Sally Auto Sales blesses Alliance family with car, 400 gifts

For several minutes, the gift parade didn't stop. In the end, Jake Sponseller laid down about 75 presents under the tree.

One of the Buzzellis' two cars, a Ford Escape, has been disabled for two months due to an engine issue. When they saw the gift haul begin, Mike Buzzelli joked to his wife that they should have asked for a new car for Christmas.

The Sponsellers, two of the four new owners of Sally & Assoc. Auto Sales since January, then asked the Buzzellis to come out to the front porch.

"I'm not sure if you're familiar with the Sally's giveaway," Andrea Sponseller told the couple. "On top of all the gifts we just gave you, we heard that it might be helpful if you guys could have another car. So the car that's sitting at the end of the driveway is yours."

Andrea Sponseller handed the keys to the Subaru Tribeca to a stunned Mike Buzzelli.

"What the ..." Mike Buzzelli began to ask, prompting laughter from those on hand.

"It is yours, free and clear," said Andrea Sponseller, who added that it came with a year of free oil changes. "Merry Christmas!"

"Awesome!" said Mike Buzzelli's wife, Stacie. "Thank you guys, so much!"

She began to laugh as her husband went into the house to sign paperwork to transfer the vehicle's title to the family. The auto, which has about 163,000 miles on it, is worth about $6,000.

The Sally & Assoc. owners bought the Tribeca at Akron Auto Auction, and Shine Now Auto Detailing cleaned it up before Saturday's giveaway.

"I'm a little in shock, actually," Stacie Buzzelli said. "We appreciate everybody's help."

Sally's co-owner Ryan Wittensoldner said, "I think this second car is going to free up some time for you guys and make things a little easier."

The Sponsellers and Wittensoldners bought Sally & Assoc. nearly a year ago from Sally Schatz.

Schatz had conducted the giveaway just before Christmas every year since 2006. The new owners pledge to continue the tradition.

Mikayla Milburn, the Buzzelli twins' math teacher at Alliance High School, nominated the family for the Sally's giveaway.

The twins work more than 20 hours a week at two McDonald's in Alliance. With the Escape broken down, Mike Buzzelli often has to leave his job as a school IT specialist for Canton City Schools to drive his daughters to work or appointments. Stacie Buzzelli said having only one vehicle often has forced her to cancel appointments in Canton.

After signing the paperwork, Mike Buzzelli tried to find words to describe the family's gift.

"I am like, overwhelmed. I really am. I think, I can't believe it."

Daughter Nancy said, "Now that we have a new car, my dad can just take us to school."

Sponsors and friends contributed to the gifts, which included numerous gift cards and presents. Sally's owners said the gifts, which had a value of about $2,000, included shoes, crafts, blankets and household items. Sponsors helping with the project include Shine Now Auto Detailing, Freshmark, Robertson Heating Supply, Givens-Grove Insurance, Grove Appliance, Union House, Texas Roadhouse, Grinders Above and Beyond, MAD Hair Studio, Gionino's, Mac Trailer, Coastal Pet, Wittensoldner Realty, Pole Barns Direct and friends and family of the Sally & Associates' owners.

Reach Robert at robert.wang@cantonrep.com. On X (formerly Twitter), @rwangREP.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance car giveaway tradition rolls on with new Sally & Associates owners